I wrote the following sidebar to my profile of Oregon John Kitzhaber's companion, Cylvia Hayes, which is appearing in The Sunday Oregonian:

Cylvia Hayes dislikes being called the girlfriend of Gov. John Kitzhaber.

Benjamin Brink/The OregonianCylvia Hayes

It "is so much less than what John and I are," she said in an e-mail. "I think companion -- maybe long-term companion -- is a good idea."

Hayes said she and Kitzhaber usually refer to each other as "life partners," but she conceded that it "probably isn't very explanatory to many people."

Kitzhaber said he hadn't thought about how the news media, for instance, should identify Hayes.

"It's kind of an interesting situation that people are trying to figure out how to describe a woman whom I am deeply committed to and who is deeply committed to me, and we have a tremendous and wonderful relationship," he said. "So I guess you guys are just going to have to work it out."